Working towards a more diverse engineering and technology workforce
We believe we all have a huge role to play in inspiring tomorrow’s engineers, and in helping to create a more diverse engineering and technology workforce, reflective of the UK population.
To achieve this, we have an ambition to ensure more diverse young people effectively engage with STEM engagement activities, to inform and inspire them to pursue a career in engineering and technology.
Neon is powered by EngineeringUK, a charity that has developed a set of ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ (EDI) criteria to identify schools with the highest proportion of young people from groups who are underrepresented in the engineering and technology profession. EngineeringUK uses these criteria to appropriately target its programmes and provide additional support, such as bursaries.
Find out more about the EngineeringUK EDI criteria
Some experiences on Neon are only targeted at schools that meet the EngineeringUK EDI criteria
Some activity providers, whose experiences are showcased on Neon, choose to only make their activities available to schools who meet the criteria, to do their bit to increase the number and diversity of young people choosing academic and vocational pathways into engineering.
Is my school eligible?
A school meets the EngineeringUK EDI criteria if it is equal to or above the national average in both Free School Meals (FSM) and proportion of ethnic minority students.
Currently approximately*:
- 48% of secondary schools in England meet the criteria
- 46% of secondary and middle schools in Wales meet the criteria
- 40% of post-primary schools in Northern Ireland meet the criteria
- 58% of secondary schools in Scotland meet the criteria
To find out if your school meets the criteria, create an account on Neon with your school name and the system will automatically filter in or out the experiences that your school can take part in.
*Please note that the percentages above refer only to secondary schools or their equivalents (in the devolved nations), excluding special schools (as 100% of these schools meet the criteria). Primary schools are not currently included in the EDI criteria.